A park in New Jersey had to close to visitors Wednesday after a large bear was spotted roaming the area, and acting in a strange manner.
Park officials said the bear aggressively approached people walking along a trail in Tourne Park, something that is not typical for bears to do in most situations. A couple was with their dogs at the Morris County park when they nearly ran into the ursine creature.
"The bear turned, went down the trail a few feet, and came back again," said Morris Parks Director Dave Helmer.
The couple tried to scare it away, and then took off with their pups and ran to safety. Helmer said it was the second bear incident in just a few days at the 550-acre park, which is surrounded by homes.
A nearby resident said he spotted a bear, but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary about it. The woods in the area have plenty of bears living there, so seeing one is not totally unheard of.
The bear did not attack anyone, fortunately, but the bear's behavior was deemed aggressive enough to close the park on Wednesday. Park police will be monitoring a trap set by the state several times a day to see if it gets caught.
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If the bear remains on the loose, the state recommends closing the park for a week. Helmer said that they will be taking it on a day-to-day basis for now.
